Separation and Divorce Services
Expert Guidance Through Separation and Divorce
Navigating the Complexities of Separation and Divorce
Navigating the complexities of separation and divorce can be emotionally and practically overwhelming.
Lucinda Holliday as a Separation and Divorce Consultant offers calm, rational support to help you address immediate concerns – such as whether to remain in your home, how to manage the finances, or protect your welfare – while also guiding long-term considerations like the arrangements for the children, a fair division of assets, and emotional resilience.
With access to a trusted network of professionals and a focus on clarity and practicality, Lucinda ensures you are prepared, supported, and empowered throughout this challenging journey.
Expert Services in Separation and Divorce
Practical Arrangements
On a separation, there are practical arrangements that will need to be put in place immediately. It is imperative that you deal with these rationally and calmly and do not take any action that could inflame or complicate the situation further down the line.
I will help you consider whether to remain at the family home or move out. We can also discuss whether you need additional support if you are leaving a controlling partner or an abusive relationship.
We will need to consider the day-to-day finances and what interim arrangements need to be put in place until you are able to consider your finances more fully. These arrangements should provide you with short-term stability and might avoid the need for interim applications to the court.
Immediate emotional and practical support might also need to be discussed. I will help you consider your support network, and we can discuss whether you would benefit from counselling or psychotherapy.
If you are married, I will be able to explain the divorce process and discuss timescales and actions that you can take on your own and where you might need legal assistance.
At any point in these discussions, I will signpost you to a legal adviser if necessary.
Children Matters
In terms of the arrangements for the children, we can consider interim arrangements which might need to be put in place at the start of the separation and the longer-term arrangements. It might be that you need to take immediate action to deal with a specific issue or to stop the other parent from behaving in a certain way; we can discuss your concerns and the options available to alleviate them.
Together we can consider the long-term options available for you, the children and the other parent. We can discuss the merits of a ‘shared care arrangement’ and alternative arrangements that might work in your circumstances.
We can discuss the best way of dealing with the arrangements for the children depending on the relationship you have with your ex and the children themselves. There is not a ‘one size fits all’ and it is essential that you go forward with proposals that will work for you and your children.
We can discuss the complexities of blended families, the merits of flexible arrangements and parenting plans, and can take a pragmatic view as to whether a court application might be needed to formalise the arrangements for the children.
Financial Matters
There are two steps to looking at what might be a fair and reasonable financial settlement. The first step is considering what is in the pot and obtaining full financial disclosure. The second involves determining how to divide that pot. Whether you are married or cohabiting will have a bearing on the division of the assets, which we can discuss.
I will help you understand the financial landscape and what should be considered before negotiating a financial settlement.
Your solicitor or mediator will be expecting financial disclosure. For some, providing financial disclosure is a daunting and an extremely complex task. I will help clarify exactly what is required and how to obtain this information so that you and your solicitor / mediator can deal with the disclosure process cost effectively.
We can consider options for settlement so that when you start to negotiate you have a clearer idea of the outcome to expect and what might be reasonable. I will take a realistic approach and will manage your expectations so that you don’t waste legal costs pursuing an outcome that simply might not be achievable.
Emotional Matters
I have an in-depth understanding of the emotional impact of a separation and divorce on those involved, and can help you manage this more effectively.
I work with you to manage the process, helping you understand what to expect, put in place clear boundaries and timeframes, and contain the impact of outside influences.
The relationship between you and your former partner is going to change dramatically and depending on the personalities involved, we should be able to predict behaviour that could make managing this transition more difficult for you and any children involved.
By remaining focused and having clear objectives, we will ensure that the decisions you make and the steps you take are well thought through and measured. This will ensure that financial and emotional costs are not wasted.
When separating from a high conflict personality, there will be additional challenges involved . We will anticipate these and pre-empt them where possible or deal with them more effectively if they arise.
Professional Relationships
When required, I can introduce you to other professionals who can provide expert advice when it is needed such as solicitors, mediators, financial advisers, accountants and psychotherapists, all of whom I will have previously dealt with.
I will help you work effectively with your solicitor to ensure that costs are not wasted, and that they are used to provide legal rather than emotional or practical support. I can also work with you to ensure that their time is not spent in dealing with administrative tasks which we can deal with at a significantly lower cost.
When entering mediation, it is essential that you are prepared for and understand the process and the limitations of mediation. I will help you choose a mediator in whom you have confidence. We can ensure that prior to the first joint session, you have a good understanding of the finances or child arrangements, options for settlement and your preferred outcome. We can also identify red lines so that you can negotiate effectively.
For many, the financial landscape is uncertain and overwhelming. Where appropriate, I will provide you with the details of financial advisers who can assess your net worth and assist you with cashflow forecasting so that you understand what the future finances might look like. I can also provide you with the details of accountants (or work with your accountant if you have one) if there are tax issues that need to be considered.
For two decades, I have dealt with psychotherapists and counsellors and, where necessary, will signpost you to professionals who can help you deal with the emotional impact of the divorce and enable you to move forward.